Visiting the UK

Yabastud

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Hi! I'm a type 1 diabetic visiting the UK for a few months. I'll be bringing with me a 90-Day supply of insulin which is the most my insurance provider is willing to give me at a time, but I'll be in the UK for 5 or 6 months.

Can anyone guide me on how a non-UK Native might go about getting insulin?
 

Resurgam

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Will you be roaming around or have a base whilst you are here? It might well make a difference on how it can be managed.
I suspect that some sort of document from your present doctor detailing your requirements will be needed.
 

ert

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Hi! I'm a type 1 diabetic visiting the UK for a few months. I'll be bringing with me a 90-Day supply of insulin which is the most my insurance provider is willing to give me at a time, but I'll be in the UK for 5 or 6 months.

Can anyone guide me on how a non-UK Native might go about getting insulin?
My insulin only lasts for 2 weeks before it begins to lose its effectiveness. You should be able to pay for a doctors appointment (£50) like my overseas visitors have and ask for them to write a prescription if you present one from your doctor. You will have to pay for the prescription here at the pharmacy. Perhaps your insurance would cover it?
 

Yabastud

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Will you be roaming around or have a base whilst you are here? It might well make a difference on how it can be managed.
I suspect that some sort of document from your present doctor detailing your requirements will be needed.

A little of both. We'll be spending about 5-6 weeks at each location. I imagine I'm going to be running out while during the London leg of our visit.
 

Yabastud

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My insulin only lasts for 2 weeks before it begins to lose its effectiveness. You should be able to pay for a doctors appointment (£50) like my overseas visitors have and ask for them to write a prescription if you present one from your doctor. You will have to pay for the prescription here at the pharmacy. Perhaps your insurance would cover it?

The insulin I have last for a long time if kept refrigerated. So, I'm sure it'll last the whole 3 months. What do you think would be the cheapest place to go to get an insulin prescription. If I lived there I'd find a diabetes specialist, but is there maybe some kind of budget clinics? I'll have lost my insurance before I leave which is why I've stocked up as much as possible on my supplies before leaving.
 

EllieM

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What kinds of insulin do you use. UK natives get it free so there's not much in the public domain about pricing. but I found this, which should give you some idea of the prices if you don't qualify for free prescriptions.

https://pharmacyoutlet.co.uk/
If you put insulin into the search bar then you get 121 entries.
Having said that, if I were buying insulin, I'd take my prescription to a walk in chemist so I didn't have to worry about damage in transit. The link is just to give you an idea of prices.
 
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EllieM

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I'd be hesitant about visiting the UK if I didn't have any sort of travel insurance. If you get hit by a bus and end up in hospital it could get very expensive.
 

ert

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My insulin only lasts for 2 weeks before it begins to lose its effectiveness. You should be able to pay for a doctors appointment (£50) like my overseas visitors have and ask for them to write a prescription if you present one from your doctor. You will have to pay for the prescription here at the pharmacy. Perhaps your insurance would cover it?
What insulins are you prescribed? It will be the same price everywhere as residents get it for free (there are no budget clinics.)
This is interesting: https://pharmanewsintel.com/news/insulin-prices-8x-higher-in-the-us-compared-to-similar-nations
 
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Mr_Pot

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I'd be hesitant about visiting the UK if I didn't have any sort of travel insurance. If you get hit by a bus and end up in hospital it could get very expensive.
Just to point out that visitors to the UK are treated free of charge in the event of an accident. Travel insurance is still vital of course.
 

KennyA

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Hi! I'm a type 1 diabetic visiting the UK for a few months. I'll be bringing with me a 90-Day supply of insulin which is the most my insurance provider is willing to give me at a time, but I'll be in the UK for 5 or 6 months.

Can anyone guide me on how a non-UK Native might go about getting insulin?
If you're going to be here for a substantial length of time you might be able to register with a GP. The rule is that you have to be living "lawfully and permanently" in England (the rules may be different in the rest of the UK). If I recall correctly, the feeling was that six months stay was enough to satisfy the "permanently" part of the requirement. It's up to the individual GP practice to decide whether to accept the registration or not, and they will take other factors into account. I left that area of work some years back so it is possible that this is no longer the case.
 

ajbod

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You can register as a temporary patient with GPs. Had to do this with Father in law whilst on holiday, out of county.
also 111 maybe of help.
 

KennyA

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You can register as a temporary patient with GPs. Had to do this with Father in law whilst on holiday, out of county.
also 111 maybe of help.
You can only do this if you are already registered with a GP elsewhere in the UK. I think the OP is from outside the UK.
 

KennyA

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I'm referring to temporary registration, which is not the same as the OP being a temporary resident. The OP may well be able to get full registration (see my earlier post above) which is what your link covers. I don't know anything about where the OP is from or length of stay.

However temporary registration is designed to cope with the situation where a fully registered patient of a GP practice in England is temporarily away from home at another address in England for a short period. This is intended to cover holidays, staying with relatives, working away from home etc.
 

Seacrow

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'Primary care' is free. You may have to register with a GP. If the practice turns you down (since you are not a UK resident), they are still required to provide 'any immediately necessary treatment '. I think prescription of insulin should qualify.
(Source: www.gov.uk, NHS entitlements: migrant health guide page)
 

Soplewis12

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Just to point out that visitors to the UK are treated free of charge in the event of an accident. Travel insurance is still vital of course.
But if there are referrals to follow up clinics following an accident overseas patients will be charged x
 

Mr_Pot

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But if there are referrals to follow up clinics following an accident overseas patients will be charged x
They may well be, that is why travel insurance is vital. In serious cases it should also cover repatriation.
 

JohnEGreen

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I believe you can visit a UK GP's surgery or a walk in centre or also an A&E department and obtain a prescription that can be filled by a pharmacy you would need a prescription from your doctor and maybe a letter detailing your treatment requirements, you would probably have to pay though.

Also if you have a medical emergancy you can call 999 for an ambulance this would be free I believe.

One thing I would add do not catty your supply of insulin in checked luggage as a lost bag would be disastrous.